Singapore-style noodles vs. Costco dogs

Last week I went to Mom's and this is what we ended up eating for dinner.

And yes, that's a Costco dog, which we got after a day of shopping, preceded by a late lunch that Mom announced was our supper.

Yeah, I knew better to believe that. And the dog actually was a perfect way to end the night. But I still found myself craving the Singapore-style noodles that Mom had made for lunch, so I decided to whip up a batch myself.

Pan-fried Singapore-style Noodles
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. salt
Dash freshly ground pepper
4 "buns" of dried Chinese egg noodles (about 4 oz.)
1 T. canola oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch broccollini, cut in bite-sized pieces
2 Chinese-style sausages, sliced
1-2 T. soy sauce
1-2 T. Sichuan Spicy Noodle Sauce
1/2 t. garlic-chile sauce
1-2 T. curry powder

Gently mix chicken breast chunks, garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper, then let marinate for about 2 hours.

Cook the noodles according to package directions; set in a colander and rinse periodically with lukewarm water to prevent sticking together.

Heat large saute pan over medium high heat. Add oil, then saute onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic for the last 30 seconds. Remove to a large bowl, then add broccollini and bell pepper to pan and continue cooking until soft, about another 5 minutes. Add veggies to the bowl.

Add oil to the pan if needed, then saute marinated chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Add sausage and stir until cooked through. Turn off heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, pan-fry the noodles in a pan similar to how we make Fried Rice: Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add a handful of cooked noodles and stir. Let the noodles sit for a minute or two, then turn over as best as possible and let sit for another minute or so. If the noddles aren't a little dried out by this point, repeat the process until the texture is still moist yet not sticky. Otherwise, place the pan-fried noodles into the large bowl with the veggies and continue pan-frying the noodles until they're all in the bowl.

Stir noodles and vegetables with the meat and add seasonings to taste. I usually use soy sauce, Sichuan Spicy Noodle Sauce, garlic-chile sauce and curry powder, but experiment with your favorite sauces (and vegetables) and let me know what your ideal combination is!

Mix it all together into Salmon Chow Mein

Bryan took some action shots last night while I was combining all of the food I made earlier this week into one dish. I made plenty of Asian-style Salmon because I knew the leftovers would be even tastier after soaking up the sauce overnight, and even better with some noodles. I planned even further ahead by barbecuing 1 large zucchini, tossed with olive oil and garlic salt, that I then had to hide from Bryan.

Ideally, I would have used the the thin, Chinese egg noodles Mom taught me how to stir-fry for Chow Mein, but all I had was Top Ramen, which proved a delicious substitute. Just be sure to break up the noodles before you cook them, otherwise they're way too long and will just get tangled when you try to stir-fry them.


Salmon Chow Mein
3 packages Top Ramen
3 T. sesame oil, divided
2 cups leftover Asian-style Salmon, broken up in chunks, with sauce
1 zucchini, cut in bite-size pieces
2 green onions, sliced
1 jalepeno, minced (optional)
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sugar
1 T. rice vinegar

Break up the Top Ramen, then cook according to package directions and drain well.

Meanwhile, heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with 1 T. of sesame oil, then stir-fry a third of the Top Ramen, a third of the green onions, and a third of the jalepeno, if using. You'll want to move the noodles around the pan ever 30 seconds or so, being sure to turn them with a spatula a couple of times. Transfer noodles to large bowl when they start to dry out, then repeat with the remaining noodles. Each batch should take 3-5 minutes.

Mix together the soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar, then add to the noodles and mix well.

Place the zucchini and salmon in the same pan until heated through, then add to the noodles and stir until mixed well.